Big Time Comfort
by UnpredictablyRandomOne
Summary: Kendall's knocked out and Logan and James are on a sugar high, leaving Carlos alone to deal with a difficult situation. Please read & review! Rated T for safety. Two-Shot!
1. Chapter 1

This... came out of nowhere. I just absolutely love how close the boys are and all of the sudden my fingers started typing and didn't stop until this was finished. It's two chapters long, I promise it's just two chapters this time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush and am not making any money out of this.

* * *

Two months. Two months of performing with only six days off and they hadn't even been consecutive! There had to be something in the rule book against this, thought Kendall as he dropped into his bed. He loved doing what he did, he really did but some actual time off was desperately needed. The fans would understand, he was sure of it but the one who didn't seem to get it was none other than his boss, Gustavo Roque. If only Gustavo could somehow show them some pity and give them a much needed and his opinion, much deserved break, Kendall promised to never complain again. Well, for a couple of days, at least.

Kendall took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of home from his pillow. There really was no place like home. As he kicked off his shoes, he wondered how many hours of sleep he could get before something happened to ruin his much needed rest. Not bothering to open his eyes, he quickly tapped his knuckles against his dresser, no need to jinx anything. He finally pulled the cover over himself as he snuggled into a comfortable position, planning on dreaming of more sleep. He wasn't sure how long he'd been asleep when he felt a strong set of arms shaking him awake. Clenching his fists, he prepared to knock whomever had been stupid enough to wake him up when he heard Logan's tired voice begging him to get up.

"Is someone dying?" Kendall asked, unclenching his fists but still holding onto his anger. Everyone knew how cranky he got when he hadn't slept, they knew that!

"Not yet," Logan replied before letting out a loud yawn as he sat on his own bed, making Kendall yawn as well. "Kelly called." That was all Kendall needed to hear, he knew what Logan was about to say but he refused to listen. He grabbed his pillow and desperately tried to hold it over his head, not wanting to hear what his friend was about to say.

"I quit. Tell them I quit and let me get some sleep." He muttered from underneath his pillow. Logan rubbed at his tired eyes, not really sure what Kendall had said but pretty sure it was something along the lines of quitting.

"I'm tired too but Kelly said it was very important and to be ready in twenty minutes." He blinked at his watch. "And that was ten minutes ago. Come on, Kendall, we can sleep later." He urged the blonde as he tried to pull the pillow away. Kendall knew it was useless to fight Logan, he wasn't the one keeping him from getting some sleep, not technically.

"Are the others ready?" Kendall asked sitting up, eye twitching when he looked at the clock and realized he'd only slept about fifteen minutes. Logan stood up and stretched, not wanting anything more than getting into his own bed and catching up on some sleep.

"Go see for yourself." And with that, Logan left. Kendall wondered what that meant as he lazily put on some clean shorts and t-shirt before making his way out of the room he shared with Logan. His mom and Katie were more than likely still asleep, who wouldn't be at six in the morning? Big Time Rush had been on a promotional tour for the last two months and had just gotten home, he hadn't even said hi to them, yet.

"Good morning, sunshine! Here, I made you some delicious wake-me-up sandwhiches guaranteed to brighten your morning before it even starts!" Kendall stood still, not sure if he was actually awake or having some terrifying nightmare because there was no way James Diamond could be this cheerful so early in the day. Especially if he'd been as tired as himself.

"My reaction exactly but it really is James." Logan said taking a bite out of his sandwhich. Kendall accepted the sandwhich that James was offering and looked at it with suspicion, what kind of sandwhich served as an energy booster?

"I know what you're thinking," James said after swallowing another bite. "But it's completely healthy and safe."

"What is it?" Kendall asked as he sat down next to Carlos, who was yet to say something. The sandwhich looked normal, Kendall thought as he opened it to find some kind of chocolate spread.

"This, my simple minded friends," Logan rolled his eyes at James but continued eating. "Is...Chocotella. Life's greatest gift, after myself of course, to the human race. It's basically chocolate with a hint of caffeine."

"It's actually pretty good and I'm sure you'll be up and about with a smile on once you've tasted it." Logan added. Kendall studied the sandwhich before putting it up to his lips when he realized Carlos still hadn't said anything or touched his food. In fact, he looked kind of sad. Setting the sandwhich down, he was about to ask his friend if he was feeling well when there was a loud knock on the door. Not wanting his mom to wake up so early, Kendall quickly walked over and opened the door, revealing a not so happy looking Kelly.

"Good morn-" Kendall was cut off when Kelly shoved a package into his arms.

"Here's everything you need to know about the concert tonight, car's waiting, let's go." And with that, she was gone. The other boys quickly picked up their luggage, which was still packed, as Kendall wrote a quick note to his mom before they left the Palm Woods, not sure where they were going or how long they'd be gone.

* * *

Carlos tried to act normal but he just didn't have the strength to pretend. He sat in the limo with his eyes closed, wanting the others to think he was asleep so they wouldn't bother him. James was talking about some new Cuda products at an incredible speed, so much so that Carlos had no idea what he was saying other than Cuda. Logan was talking just as fast, explaining something about skin diseases related to Cuda products but Carlos didn't bother with trying to understand. And Kendall, he was actually knocked out. He'd told the team about the concert, more like a birthday party for the kid of some ultra-famous star, and had gone to sleep soon after. They were just glad it wasn't one of those long trips, they would have died of exhaustion. But they could handle a few hours.

If Carlos had eaten the sandwhich, he knew he might not be as tired and probably would have been acting like his normal self but he knew if he tried to eat something, anything, he would just throw it up. The guys hadn't suspected anything was wrong with him, not yet at least and he hoped to keep them from finding out until this was over. A couple of hours ago, his mom had called him with some terrible news that had shaken his world to its core but he hadn't said anything, not wanting to worry his friends. They had been tired and needed whatever sleep they could get before getting home. Now, another performance and he didn't want to ruin that for them, either.

The day was just beginning but the weather was already warm, it didn't feel right with the numbness Carlos was feeling. He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to think about it. Luckily, no more than twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a huge mansion. After almost three years in LA, Carlos had seen all types of mansions and palaces and he didn't think there was anything left to be seen. He'd been wrong. The mansion was huge but that wasn't what made it special. It was designed to look like a cartoon mansion! If Carlos had been feeling like himself, he would have taken a bunch of pictures before running all over, trying to memorize each nook and cranny.

Following the loud duo of Logan and James, Carlos couldn't help the small smile that spread across his face as he stopped to admire it from outside, this would be the coolest place to live in. He was pushed forward, causing him to turn and steady Kendall who looked like he was about to fall over. He understood how he was feeling but if Kendall wasn't careful, he'd hurt himself. Knowing just what to do, he took off his helmet and put it on Kendall's head, amused his friend didn't notice what was happening.

"It's Candy Land!" Carlos heard James shout from inside. Pulling Kendall along, Carlos gasped at the inside of the mansion, it was as if someone had literally turned the mansion into a cartoon. The furniture was all bright, neon colors. It was as if he'd stepped into Poo-wee Hermy's Play House. It was insane!

"Good morning, boys. I'm Ariel, the one in charge of today's event. Thank you for coming on such short notice, you have no idea how much we appreciate it." Carlos wondered if Ariel was her real name and if she was a real redhead or if she was just in costume. Kelly shook her hand and told her it was no problem. Carlos figured she hadn't noticed that two of the four members of Big Time Rush were practically dead on their feet.

"Let me show you to where you're going to be performing. You'll go on at around three, perform maybe four or five songs then you can enjoy the entertainment with the guests." Ariel talked as the band followed behind her. Logan and James were taking in the scenery and already planning their routine by the time they reached the stage area. The backyard was the typical mansion type, huge pool, beautiful landscape, playground for the kids, small waterfall, etc. But it was also decorated with cartoon characters everywhere. Ariel explained some stuff then led them back inside through a long hallway. Carlos continued to pull a dazed Kendall behind him. The people that lived here must be completely loaded to make sure everything was cartoon themed, considering it was suppose to be just for one day, they had definitely gone all out.

"Carlos!" Carlos whipped his head around, feeling bad for not noticing they'd been saying his name a few times. "Ariel was polite enough give you guys a few hours of free time, until Gustavo gets here to start rehearsing. Take Kendall into that bedroom and let him get some sleep." Kelly instructed, pointing to one of the few rooms with an open door. That was when Carlos noticed that Logan and James were nowhere to be seen, they'd left him to take care of Kendall by himself.

"Okay, thanks Ariel." Carlos managed a small smile before pulling Kendall into the room, glad to see the cartoon theme had stayed out of the rooms. He heard Kelly telling him to behave but he didn't bother with a response. There was no way he was up for some exploring or anything really. Pushing Kendall into the bed, he sighed. Kendall was completely dead to the world. The thought made him cringe, someone he'd known was actually dead now, he'd never see him again. Carlos ran a hand across his eyes, wiping away the tears that had managed to escape. He was not going to cry, not now. Sniffling, he curled up next to Kendall and hugged himself, wanting nothing more than someone to hug him and let him know he was not alone.

* * *

"This has got to be the best place we've ever had to perform at!" James shouted with glee as he rushed up the slide, again. He'd never been down a light up slide before and he was going to make sure to enjoy it to its fullest. He was also grateful to the rusher that had given him the Chocotella, he felt so alive! He yelled in excitement as he sled down, watching the lights flicker on and off. Once at the bottom, he turned to look at Logan who was still playing with some weird looking blocks.

"Logan, you really need to try this, it's super, super awesome!"

"You said super twice." Logan automatically replied without looking up.

"You bet I did." James answered with a grin. He watched his friend move the blocks around without letting them touch each other, James had no idea what the point of the game was but he was pretty sure he wouldn't find it fun. "I'd ask what you're doing but I don't really care. Let's go play some of the other games. Oh!" James grabbed Logan's arm and pulled him away, ignoring the protests from his friend. "Let's get Carlos to play with us, we'll have even more fun."

"Carlos, oh no, we left him alone with a sleeping Kendall." The look of horror on Logan's face made James start laughing. More than likely, Carlos would have Kendall's face either painted or covered in maple syrup. Either one would send their fearless leader into a hilarious tantrum.

"Yea, well, what can we do about it, right?"

They reached the hallway, knowing their friends were in one of the many rooms. After trying several doors, one finally opened. They stepped inside and found Kendall sound asleep with an arm drapped over Carlos, who was also fast asleep. James held back the laugh threatening to escape from his lips when Logan pulled out his phone. Quietly, he walked over to the bed and took a couple of pictures of the sleeping duo, not believing Kendall was still wearing Carlos' helmet.

"They look so cute!" James whispered, wiping away an imaginary tear. As they stepped closer to Carlos, they realized he was hugging himself. That was normal but what made them frown was that he looked as if he'd been crying, if the dried tears on his face were any sign. James looked at Logan who shrugged, neither knowing why Carlos would have been crying. Logan pulled away Kendall's arm while James softly shook Carlos out of his sleep.  
A few seconds later, the youngest sleepily opened his eyes, blinking to adjust his eyes to the sunlight. He looked over at James and started to open his mouth when his friend put a finger to his and waved him to get up, pointing at Kendall next to him.

Once outside of the room, James realized that Carlos looked awful. How could they have not noticed this sooner? Logan looked just as ashamed, not having noticed that their youngest best friend wasn't okay. James was going to ask what was wrong when a water balloon was thrown their way, bursting on his head. Instinctively ducking for cover, the three boys watched as a young girl, probably around ten, stuck her tongue out and ran off, her laughter bouncing off the walls.

"What was that about? She messed up my hair!" James shouted, running his hands through his hair, trying to smooth it out. Logan looked just as confused but Carlos felt a sudden burst of energy and ran after the girl who'd messed with his friend.

"Carlos, wait!" Logan called out as he followed. James sighed, jumping to his feet and speeding off after them as well. Reaching the corner, he watched with an open mouth at the scene in front of him. Carlos and Logan were face down on some weird looking carpet. James stepped closer only to stop at Logan's warning.

"Don't step on it, James! It's some kind of sticky substance, you'll get stuck if you step on it! Just-just try to pull us off somehow."

"I am _not_ getting close to that." James replied, pointing to the slippery looking carpet. "That looks absolutely disgusting."

"What kind of a friend are you?" Logan growled, using all his strength to get on his knees, trying to keep from slipping.

"A clean one." James looked around for the kid but she was nowhere in sight. If he saw her again, James would...well, there really wasn't much he could do to a child, he'd get arrested for abuse.

"Carlos, you okay?" Logan asked after finally standing up. Carlos nodded but didn't reply as he too, started to get up. They both walked over to where James made sure to stay a small distance away.

"You guys look hilarious, let me take a picture." James commented as he took out his phone, laughing when Logan tried to take it away. "I promise not to post it anywhere, just one picture. You don't mind, right Carlos?" James and Logan turned to see that Carlos was already walking back to their room, not bothering to answer. That was when James knew that something was seriously wrong with his best pal.

* * *

Alrighty, hope this was good enough for some reviews. If it wasn't, please let me know what I need to improve on, I really want to become better at this. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and expect chapter two either tomorrow or the day after. It's done, I promise!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two is here! Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows, it really means a lot!

Disclaimer: Same as chapter one.

* * *

Logan had known Carlos for almost eleven years. He'd been there for him every time he'd been picked on, whenever he'd had a disagreement with his parents, all the times he misplaced his helmet and whenever he'd managed to get himself hurt. And if there was one thing he knew about him, is was that Carlos had a way of telling people he was hurting without ever saying anything, that's just how he was. Logan, James and Kendall had always been able to pick up on the slightest hint that something was wrong, why hadn't they been able to this time?

Wrapping a towel around his waist, Logan stepped out of the shower, feeling nice and clean. After he and James had walked into the room, they'd heard the water running and knew Carlos was already showering. They had whispered to each other, trying to figure out what was wrong but neither had any idea. Normally, they'd have Kendall helping them out but their tired friend was still knocked out. It was up to them to figure out what was wrong and make Carlitos feel better. Changing into his clothes, Logan walked out into the bedroom only to see James on the verge of tears, Carlos nowhere to be seen.

"James, what happened?"

"He said that he was fine." Logan raised an eyebrow, obviously Carlos wasn't fine but how would that affect James to the brink of tears?

"And?" James gave him glare, upset at not being understood but Logan couldn't see what had been so bad.

"He lied to me, Logan. Carlos Garcia lied to me without blinking! He's never been able to do that, he can't lie." Logan's jaw dropped. James was right, Carlos was a terrible liar. There was no way he'd managed to lie with a straight face.

"Are you sure? Maybe you weren't paying attention and he-"

"Of course I'm sure! I'm not an idiot." Logan sighed, he knew James wasn't an idiot. This whole thing was just not normal, there was something wrong with Carlos and he'd lied about it.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Logan sat on the edge of the bed next to James, running a hand down his face. "Did he say anything about what might be bugging him?"

"What's wrong with Carlitos?"

Logan and James jumped at the sudden voice coming from behind them. They hadn't expected Kendall to wake up for another hour, when Gustavo would tell them it was time to rehearse. Typical Kendall, waking up when he was needed by his friends. Logan looked over at James, not sure what to say since they really had no idea what was wrong with their Carlos.

"Guys, what's going on with Carlos?"

"We don't know what's wrong with him but we know something is. He's been acting quiet and we think he was crying earlier but he says he's fine." Logan offered with a shrug. He felt awful for not having noticed earlier, he was suppose to watch out for his friends and he'd let the youngest down.

"He lied to me, Kendall. He straight out lied to me without a problem, the impossible happened so I know it's bad." Logan nodded at James' comment, it really was impossible for Carlos to lie. Well, until today apparently. Kendall rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, letting out a yawn before standing up. Now that he was awake, Logan knew everything would be figured out.

"Let's get our Carlos back."

* * *

The mansion was incredible. Kendall thought as he walked down the halls alongside with James and Logan, looking for their missing friend. He'd been so tired he hadn't even realized they'd reached their destination. Now that he was more or so awake, he was taking in the incredible mansion, it was like Poo-wee Hermy's Play House. As awesome as it was, his heart wasn't really in it, he was too worried about his youngest best friend to really care. Kendall had known something was off with Carlos earlier in the morning, he'd known something was wrong but he'd forgotten to find out what that was.

He was the leader of their team, he was suppose to make sure his friends were always okay and to make them better if they weren't. They trusted him to be there for them and he'd let the baby of the group down. There was no way he could make it up to him but he was damn sure going to try. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he ignored the flurry of people walking from one place to another, carrying trays for the party. He stopped walking and listened carefully, someone was sobbing. Kendall jogged into another hallway and slowed down to see where the crying was coming from. It was very faint but his sharp hearing picked it up, that's when he realized it wasn't Carlos crying. It sounded more like a little girl.

"You don't understand, this party was all his idea and he's not even here to enjoy it with me!" Kendall stopped next to the room he was sure the crying was coming from and quietly put his ear to the door, his friends following his lead. "My grandpa was the one that wanted to make sure my birthday party was perfect and he's dead. My parents don't even care."

"I know it hurts, I really do." Kendall pushed his ear closer to the door at the sound of Carlos' voice, wondering what exactly the girl was talking about.

"You know how if feels to lose someone you've known your whole life?"

"Yea, my abuelito died a few days ago."

Kendall pulled away from the door as if it had burned him, the other two doing the same. Carlos' abuelito was dead? From the looks of his friends, they hadn't known either.

"My mom called me last night and told me, it's not fair." The hurt in his friend's voice was too much for him and Kendall knocked on the door, giving the two inside a chance to compose themselves. The door opened after a few seconds and the look on Carlos' face broke his heart. Kendall had met Abuelito once or twice but he knew how close Carlos had been to his grandpa, he knew Carlitos was hurting terribly.

"Carlos, I'm-" Kendall didn't finish. Carlos grabbed him in a tight hug, his small body shaking uncontrollably. Kendall held his friend just as tightly, letting him know he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Carlos held unto Kendall, looking for any comfort he could get. When he'd left James back in the room, he'd been hurting so much, he hadn't been paying attention and had run straight into Gina, the girl they'd been chasing earlier. Carlos had asked her why she'd done what she did but instead of answering she'd burst into tears and ran off again. Carlos had chased her to a study, where she'd been quietly sobbing. He'd asked her what her name was and introduced himself, wanting her to feel a bit more comfortable. That was when things went bad, for him at least.

Gina told him how her grandpa had passed away a few weeks ago, how the party had been his idea, how she'd been so excited to have the best birthday party of all time only to have it all be taken away after he'd suffered a heart attack. Her parents had been upset but after a week, they had gone about their lives as if nothing had happened. At ten years old, she couldn't understand how anybody could forget her grandpa and move on with their lives. Her parents hadn't offered any comfort either and had left her to deal with it on her own.

She'd been causing all sorts of trouble but nobody cared, not until she'd caused the band they'd hired for the party to quit. But instead of taking the time to figure out why she was acting out, her parents had just hired Big Time Rush. In her eyes, Big Time Rush was at fault for having solved the missing entertainment issue and taking away the chance to talk to her parents. Carlos had tried to comfort her but his own grief kept getting in the way. When he finally admitted his loss out loud, he'd felt his heart break. He had started to cry, wanting someone to hold him and make everything better. That was when he'd heard the knock and he knew help was here.

"What is going on in here?" A tall, well dressed woman asked. Carlos watched her walk into the room where Gina quickly jumped into her arms. "Baby, what's wrong?" The woman asked, holding Gina close to her.

"I miss grandpa." She wailed. Knowing she had a lot to talk about with her mom, Carlos motioned for his friends to follow him before closing the door, giving them time to talk.

"I'm sorry I got your shirt all wet." He muttered between sobs, not looking up at his friends as he led them back to the room. Kendall wrapped an arm over his shoulders, letting him know it was fine. Once in the room, Carlos completely broke down. His abuelito had been his best friend since he could remember and he had passed away without saying goodbye.

"I'm so sorry, Carlitos."

"Me too."

"I'm sorry, too."

His friends said through their own tears. Carlos knew they hadn't been close to Abuelito but he also knew they were hurting right along with him, not letting him go through it alone. They had him in the middle, all wrapping their arms around him, offering him the comfort they could. He cried and cried until he felt like he'd run out of tears. Still sobbing, he'd slowly pushed them away, taking a seat on the bed while wiping his eyes. Someone gave him some tissue which he gladly accepted.

"I can't believe he's gone." James sat down by his side, wrapping an arm around him. "My mom said he'd been sick for awhile and then three days ago, he didn't wake up."

Carlos began to cry again, surprised he still had tears to shed. It felt awful losing his abuelito but it felt even worse knowing his family had kept his illness a secret from him. If he'd known about it, he would have taken the first flight back to Minnesota to offer his support and to tell his abuelito how much he loved him. He was hurt but he was also angry, very angry at being treated as a child instead of the seventeen year old man that he was. He should have been there but his family had kept him away.

"They knew he was sick for almost two weeks and they never told me. I didn't get to say goodbye." He looked up at Kendall who was looking at him with a pained expression, probably not sure what to say. "Kendall, I think I hate my family for not telling me."

Logan shook his head and sat on Carlos' other side, wrapping his arm around him just like James. Within the span of an hour, Carlos had managed to lie and say he might hate his family, it was a complete 180 from the Carlos they all knew and loved. "You don't hate your family, Carlitos, you're just hurting right now."

"They didn't tell me my abuelito was sick, I didn't get to say goodbye to him because of them!" Carlos stood up, ignoring the hurt look on James and Logan's face when he pushed them aside. They didn't understand how he was feeling, nobody did! His abuelito would have told him to what to do, he always knew what to do.

"Your abuelito loved you, all he ever wanted was for you to be happy and he knew how much performing made you happy. You were doing what he wanted you to do, being happy." Kendall explained.

"But I loved him more." Kendall walked up to him and hugged him again, hating how his friend was hurting. If there was anyway to make it go away, he'd do it in a heartbeat.

"And he knew that. It would hurt him to know that you think you hate your family. He would want you to be with them, right now. Not to be mad at them." Logan told him from the bed. Carlos pulled away from Kendall, wiping his eyes. He looked at James and Logan before turning to Kendall.

"I have to go. I have to be with my family, the funeral is tomorrow afternoon. I want to be there, I can't leave them alone." His friends were right, his family was hurting too, he couldn't leave them alone. He watched his friends trade looks and knew what they were thinking before they had even said anything. "No, you guys have to stay here and do the show." A knock on the door interrupted them, Kendall opened it to find Kelly looking relieved.

"Change of plans guys, the party has been cancelled. We're still getting paid but the Howards decided to cancel everything for some reason. Pack up and let's go home." The boys watched her leave and turned to look at Carlos who looked relieved as well. He was glad Gina's parents had finally decided to pay attention to their daughter. Carlos looked at his friends, still not wanting them to go through with it.

"I can do this on my own. They're my family."

Kendall gave him a sad smile before putting his hands on Carlos shoulders. "Yea but you're our family, we aren't going to leave you alone."

* * *

Carlos watched his family begin to walk away from the place where his abuelito was being put into the ground. The service had been so beautiful, he hadn't been able to stop himself from crying. He had sat between his mom and papi, knowing they would need him to be strong but with his brothers sitting behind him, reminding him they were being strong for him, he'd cried until he'd run out of tears.

He watched the casket disappear into the ground, knowing his abuelito would always be with him. "Gracias por tu amor, abuelito. Nunca te olvidare." Carlos said his final goodbye as James, Kendall and Logan stood by his side. He knew he would get through this because he had his friends with him, every step of the way.

* * *

I am seriously in love with the boys' relationship, I wish we could have a group hug, just one is all I ask. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this and will please let me know you either liked it or didn't through a review. Thank you!


End file.
